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To tour Istanbul's
top sights,
one
day (or two days/1
night) is a bit rushed (but possible); 3
days/2 nights is comfortable; 4
days/3 nights is wonderful!
This itinerary is designed to show
you the top sights in Istanbul,
and things to do, and to avoid weekly
closings. You may want to take a walking
tour or employ
a recommended Licensed
Private Guide,
especially to see the Chora
Church and City
Walls.
Day 1: Blue Mosque, Hagia
Sophia & Hippodrome
Morning flight to Istanbul's Atatürk
International Airport (IST), and transfer to
your hotel. Have lunch in a simple local restaurant,
then take a walking tour of Sultanahmet,
the heart of historic Byzantium/
Constantinople/ Istanbul: the Hippodrome, Ayasofya (Hagia
Sophia; closed Monday), the Blue
Mosque and Yerebatan
Saray (Sunken Palace Cistern). In the evening,
relax over a candlelight dinner in
a nice restaurant.
Day 2: Topkapı Palace, Grand
Bazaar, İstiklal
Get to Topkapı
Palace (closed Tuesday) before its doors
open and go straight to the Harem to
assure your place. After seeing the Harem,
explore the rest of the palace/museum, perhaps having
an early lunch in the palace's Konyalı Restaurant overlooking
the Bosphorus and Sea
of Marmara. In the afternoon, walk or ride the
tram along Divan
Yolu to the Grand
Bazaar for shopping, or take a taxi to
the Chora
Church (Kariye Müzesi, Church
of the Holy Savior in Chora, closed Wednesday) to
see its splendid Byzantine mosaics,
and the City
Walls. In the evening, stroll along Istiklal
Caddesi (La Grande Rue de Péra) in Beyoğlu to
find a cozy
cafe, bar or taverna for
a drink, then dinner.
Day 3: Bosphorus
Cruise
Hop aboard a ferry for a cruise up
the Bosphorus to
Sarıyer near
the Black
Sea. After a seafood lunch, ride south by land
stopping at the Sadberk
Hanım Museum, Rumeli
Hisar castle,
and/or Yıldız Palace and Park. Stop
in trendy Ortaköy for
seaside tea and snacks, then taxi to Taksim
Square for some strolling and window-shopping
in Nişantaşı or along Istiklal
Caddesi.
Day 4: Lots
of Choices!
If there's time before your board your homeward flight,
visit the Archeological
Museums, the Museum
of Turkish and Islamic Arts, or the Egyptian
Market (open every day); or search for art and
antiques off İstiklal
Caddesi; or have tea at the Ottoman-Victorian Pera
Palas Oteli; or hop aboard a ferry for the one-hour
intercontinental round-trip/return cruise from Eminönü across
the Bosphorus to Üsküdar,
Kadıköy or Haydarpaşa,
with fine views of Seraglio Point, Hagia
Sophia and
the Blue
Mosque from the water.
Istanbul
Sights
Istanbul Restaurants
Istanbul
Hotels
Istanbul Transport
Istanbul in One Day
Excursions from Istanbul
1
to 5 Days in Turkey
6
to 10 Days in Turkey
11
to 15 Days in Turkey
16
to 23 Days in Turkey
24
to 30+ Days in Turkey
Recommended
Itineraries
Special
Interest Trips
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